Gas turbines typically include a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. The compressor section pressurizes air flowing into the turbine. The pressurized air discharged from the compressor section flows into the combustion section, which may be characterized by a plurality of combustors disposed in an annular array about the axis of the engine. Each of the plurality of combustors includes a combustion liner, which defines the combustion chamber of the combustor. As such, air entering each combustor is mixed with fuel and combusted within the combustion liner. The combustion liner is positioned within a flow sleeve. Hot gases of combustion flow from the combustion liner (within flow sleeve) through a transition piece to the turbine section of the gas turbine to drive the turbine and generate power.
Conventionally, it can be difficult to couple the flow sleeve to the transition piece, because the flow sleeve/transition piece interface is sealed with a split ring seal which minimizes compressor discharge air leakage into the combustion gas path. When relaxed, the split ring seal inner dimension is smaller than the outer dimension of the transition piece, and as such, the split ring seal is expanded during assembly in order to fit around the transition piece.